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Participants
Who is the tour aimed at ?
The tour is aimed at individuals who want to challenge
themselves. It's definitely a challenge to cycle the
whole length of Italy from the southeast to the
mountains in the northwest with all kind of road
conditions and under all weather circumstances. The tour
is also meant for the people who like to travel by
bicycle through Italy. It is not a problem
if you take a seat some days in the supporting vehicles.
If you like the challenge or if you prefer more the
journey through the country, you are both welcome in
"Strade Italia".
Am I capable of doing this ?
If you are in good health, love a challenge, enjoy
cycling over all kind of road conditions and have a
adventurous mindset, you are capable of completing "Strade
Italia". We average 105 km per day and you can
ride at your own pace. You will be served lunch at the
mid-point of each day's ride, and our crew are always
available to assist you if you are having difficulties
of any kind. Keep in mind that not all unpaved sections
can be reached by our support vehicles. On any day when you don't feel up to
biking, you can also catch a ride on one of our support
vans.
Before you start
What about insurance ?
You are responsible for obtaining health and travel
insurance, including emergency rescue. Further
information will be given in the brochure. Individuals
without proper insurance will not be allowed to
participate.
On the Tour
Where do cyclists stay and sleep ?
During "Strade Italia" we stay all nights in a
comfortable hotel.
The day before the start in Santa Mariadi Leuca and after the finish
in Bardonecchia you also stay in a hotel. We organize in
total 26 nights.
What will I eat ?
The hotels provide every day an extensive breakfast.
During cycling stages we offer halfway a tasty lunch and
we make sure that you can recover at the end of the
stage with some refreshments. Next to that we provide
fruit, energy drinks and energy bars.
We have 16 times dinner in the restaurant of the hotel.
If we don't have dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, and the
rest days you have the opportunity to explore and sample
the local cuisine on your own.
Who will carry my equipment ?
Support vehicles will carry your personal items. While riding, you only have to
carry some basic tools, a spare tube, water, and a
snack.
Climate
What kind of weather should I expect ?
The weather conditions in Italy in September are normally
fine with temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees
Celsius. Especially in the south it can still be hot. It is
also not uncommon that we will get some rain
showers along the way. Keep in mind that the
temperatures can drop down considerably if we cycle at
higher altitudes in the Apennines and Alps. On a whole, we
expect too have good weather for cycling. Not too hot,
and rarely too cool or wet; and in the end it's all part
of the adventure.
Road conditions
What is the terrain like ?
We follow the course of the Unite Italy Wild Trail as
best as possible. This means that 25 per cent of the
whole route is unpaved, and the rest paved. The unpaved
sections vary from smooth flat Cadillac gravel to narrow
tracks through bushes and rough rocky down- and uphills.
Be prepared for everything including some
"hike-a-bike"-sections. An adventurous mindset is
required.
Bike
What kind of bike should I use ?
The bike is without doubt the most important part of
your equipment. The tour can be completed on any kind of
bicycle as long as it is entirely human powered.
We provide three cycle tracks which can determine your
bike choice.
(1) Adventure : The original track including all tough
parts with rocky downhills, small tracks through bushes
and river crossings. It's best to bring a mountain bike.
(2) Gravel : Only the really hard parts are taken out.
Sometimes there are still tough parts, but after or
before you will have a good stretch of gravel. It's best
to bring a gravel bike with wide tires or a mountain
bike.
(3) Paved : Everything paved. We want to use this track
only as an escape route for rainy days. Theoretically
you can bring a road bike, but it's with this tour not
our intention to offer a full paved experience.
Non-cyclist
I don't want to cycle, but can I still come
?
Yes, there is a limited number of places for people who
like to join the "Strade Italia", but don't like to cycle.
You can take part in the organization around the
cyclists and join the other staff with their daily
activities like providing lunch, shopping, etcetera.
What to bring
What do I need to bring along ?
Detailed information will be sent in the brochure.
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